SBIR Phase I: Biomanufacturing Red Natural Food Dye

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project will be the development of an alternative to synthetic chemicals that are used to impart color to food. The food industry has a long history of using synthetic pigments that impart color to foods. However, there have been concerns about negative health impacts of some high volume synthetic colorants, and the food industry is increasingly interested in identifying colorants that are obtained from biological sources. This project will explore the technical and commercial feasibility of a class of naturally occurring pigments that have properties of color, stability, and safety that make them attractive as food colorants but for which a suitable source is not currently available. Based on six years of prior research, a potentially suitable botanical source of a red pigment has been identified, and now propose to develop a commercial process to produce the pigment from the botanical source. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop a proof-of-concept pilot-scale process for extracting and purifying a naturally occurring pigment from a source plant. The pigment, which has not previously been available in commercial quantities, will be produced from a selected variety of a major crop species. Using mechanical separations, food grade solvent extractions, and various commercially-available food-grade adsorbants the goal is to produce pigment under conditions that can be used for proof-of-concept testing in model food products. The pigment produced will be characterized by analytical chemistry methods as a prelude to seeking FDA approval to sell the pigment for food use. The extracted pigment will be tested for performance characteristics, and for thermal, pH, and light stability in a range of probable food applications.